Aerators with enlarged stream outlets



p 27, 1966 E. P. AGHNIDES 3,275,246

AERATORS WITH ENLARGED STREAM OUTLETS Original Filed Oct. 22, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I. FIG. 3.

INVENTOR Elie P. Aghnides ATTORNEYS P 7, 1966 E. P. AGHNIDES 3,275,246

AERATORS WITH ENLARGED STREAM OUTLETS Original Filed 001;. 22, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4.

FIG. 5.

FIG. 5A.

XNVENTOR Elie P. Aghnid BY aw ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,275,246AERATGRS WITH ENLARGE!) STREAM OUTLETS Elie P. Aghnides, 46 W. 54th St,New York, N.Y. Continuation of application Ser. No. 317,894, Oct. 22,1963. This application Mar. 16, 1966, Ser. N 0. 534,915 6 Claims. (Cl.239-4285) This application is continuation of my prior copendingapplication Serial Number 317,894 filed October 22, 1963, entitledAerators with Enlarged Stream Outlets, and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to devices adapted to mix water and airthereby to produce a highly bubbly stream of water; and is moreparticularly concerned with improved mixing structures of simplified,relatively inexpensive, but highly efficient designs adapted to presentlarger effective mixing areas than has been the case heretofore.

Various forms of water aerators have been suggested in the past, and anumber of these aerators are in fact described in various patents whichI have obtained heretofore. In general, these prior water aerators arecharacterized by the provision of means adapted to produce a pluralityof high velocity streamlets, and adapted to mix these streamle-ts withair in an appropriate mixture chamber, thereby to produce a coherenthighly bubbly stream of water. The structures utilized heretofore haveordinarily comprised metallic assemblies, although, in recent times,portions of the assembly, or in some cases the entire assembly, hascomprised plastic materials.

Aerators of these known types are at the present time in world-wide use;and the outer casings thereof have, for the most part, been standardizedin diameter. This use of a standard diameter casing places correspondinglimitations on the size of the stream outlet which can be achieved.Because of public demand, some efforts have been made to achieve alarger stream outlet, notwithstanding the standardized casing, e.g., bythinning out the casing itself. As a practical matter, however, suchthinning of the casing, or of internal supporting or mixing parts withinsuch a casing, has marked and obvious limitations, particularly when thecasing or said internal parts comprise a plastic material. The presentinvention is accordingly directed to the provision of improved mixingscreen assemblies operative to increase the effective stream outlet overand above that which can be achieved by casing thinning alone, with themixing arrangements being such that they can be utilized effectivelyeven when the casing and/or internal parts thereof comprise plasticmaterials.

More particularly, as will appear hereinafter, the present invention isprimarily directed toward assemblies for holding the mixing screens innovel manners, e.g., by engaging or grasping the screen (or screens)only at limited spaced peripheral portions thereof. Substantially theentire screen area is accordingly maintained free for stream dischargetherethrough; and this increased effective screen area is achievedmoreover in structures which can be readily and inexpensivelyfabricated, and which do not exhibit any significant structuralweaknesses, even when plastic materials are used in such structures,

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide improvedfluid mixing assemblies for water aerators.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision ofmixing screen assemblies for use in Water aerators, so constructed andarranged that substantially the entire screen area is available formixing and stream flow through, without the screen area be- 3,275,246Patented Sept. 27, 1966 lCC ing significantly reduced in effective sizeas a result of the screen holding assembly.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision ofimproved water aerators, and, more particularly, of improved mixingscreen structures for use in such water aerators, comprising plasticscreen holding structures associated in novel manners with mixing screensurfaces.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provisionof improved techniques for fabricating mixing screen assemblies.

In providing for the foregoing objects and advantages, the presentinvention contemplates the provision of mixing screen assembliescomprising in essence one or more mixing screen surfaces associated witha screen holding structure, for example, comprising a 'plastic material,so arranged that said screen holding structure does not significantlycut down the screen area available for mixing. The screen holding meansaccordingly serves to hold the screen or screens in position whilesimultaneously maintaining substantially the entire screen area free forstream discharge therethrough, whereby the size of the stream dischargeavailable from an otherwise standard sized aerator can be increased.Various arrangements achieving this desired result are describedhereinafter.

In general, the arrangements are such that a screen holding means,screen frame, or the like is provided with a plurality of spaced,limited dimension, inwardly extending protuberances (webs, ribs, teeth,etc.) located in a generally circular locus and operating to engagespaced limited portions of a screen periphery; whereby intermediateperipheral portions of the screen, between said protuberances, areavailable for mixing all the way to the outermost edge of the screen.The screen holding means or frame is, moreover, so arranged as to avoidportions overhanging the screen, particularly adjacent said intermediateperipheral portions, to avoid cutting down the effective screen area bysuch screen overhangs.

In accordance with certain of the arrangements, moreover, the improvedresults of the present invention are achieved by so fabricating anassembly of plastic screen holding means and metal screen surface (orsurfaces) that the actual screen holding function is accomplished bycausing pontions of the metal screen surfaces to intimately engage andbecome at least partially embedded into adjacent portions of the plasticscreen holding means. Such an embedding can be accomplished, as will bedescribed hereinafter, by assembling the screen and its associatedholding means in frictional engagement with one another, and bythereafter causing a softening and resolidification of the screenholding means, for example, by subjecting the screen to high frequencyenergy or electrical heating such as induction heating, whereby edgeportions of the screen are elevated in temperature thereby to soften oreven melt adjacent portions of the plastic screen holding means, so thatsaid screen edge portions thereby penetrate and become at leastpartially embedded within said plastic holding means.

The foregoing objects, advantages, construction and operation of thepresent invention will become more readily apparent from the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of still another embodiment of thepresent invention, with each of FIG- URES 1 through 3 inclusiveillustrating various embodiments employing the high frequency heatingand melting technique which also constitutes a portion of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 4 illustrates a further embodiment of the present inventionutilizing an improved friction gripping assembly;

FIGURE 5 illustrates still another embodiment of the present inventionutilizing an improved edge engagement assembly; and

FIGURE 5A is a view taken on line A-A of FIGURE 5 illustrating a topview of the screen assembly shown in FIGURE 5.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that aerators constructed inaccordance with the present invention may comprise a casing havingthreads 11 at its upper end for engagement with a water tap or the like,and having a plurality of spaced inwardly projecting lugs 12 at itslower or discharge end for supporting an internal water mixing andaeration apparatus. This internal apparatus includes a perforateddiaphragm member or disc 14 adjacent the upstream end of casing 10operating to break up water into a plurality of streamlets, and toimpose turbulence thereon; and the said member 14 illustrated in FIGURE1 (as well as the similar such members which can be employed in each ofthe other embodiments to be described hereinafter) may take the formdescribed for example in my prior patent Nos. 2,998,929 and/or2,998,933, each issued September 5, 1961 for Water Aerators. The member14 is supported upon a mixing screen unit 15 which. in turn is carriedupon the aforementioned lugs 12. Mixing unit 15 comprises asubstantially cylindrical plastic frame 16 having a plurality ofinwardly projecting spaced webs 17 around its interior surface. Webs 17act to space a pair of screens 18 and 19 from one another, said screens18 and 19 being disposed as illustrated adjacent the upper and lowerextremities of the said Webs 17. Frame 16 further defines adjacent itsexterior surface a further plurality of spaced ribs or webs 20 forcentering the mixing screen unit 15 within casing 10. Air can enter theunit from the downstream end thereof between the various lugs 12,passing in an upward direction between the several external centeringwebs 20 and thence between spaced feet 21 provided at the lower end ofdisc or diaphragm 14 to a region between said disc 14 and the mixingunit 15.

At least one of the screens 18 and/or 19 in screen unit 15 is providedwith an aperture, e.g., located centrally therein as at 22 to permit anyforeign particles or dirt gathering between the screens to be washedout. The overall screen unit is, moreover, reversible so that theaperture 22 may be located in either the upper or the lower screen (-or,of course, in both).

In fabricating the screen unit 15, in accordance with the preferredtechnique contemplated by the present invention, the screen members 18and 19 are friction positioned within frame 16 adjacent the upper andlower extremities of interior webs 17; and the peripheral junction ofsaid frame and screens is then heated, e.g., by subjecting the screens(in the case of metallic or conductive screens) to high frequency energyoperative to effect such heating by induction effects. The heat thusimposed upon or generated by the screens 18 and 19 softens the plasticmaterial of frame 16 and/ or of webs 17 adjacent the outer periphery ofeach of screens 18 and 19; and this in turn causes a flow of plasticaround and into intimate contact with peripheral portions of the screens18 and 19. As a result, after the unit has been permitted to cool, thescreen units are tightly retained within frame 16 without any auxiliaryrings, gaskets, or the like. Moreover, .as will be appreciated fromFIGURE 1, the screens are retained in place essentially by peripheralengagement at a plurality of spaced locations of limited dimension,i.e., the upper and lower extremities of spaced relatively narrow webs17, with intermediate portions of the screen periphery between FIGURE 2.

said webs 17 being unrestricted by any overhanging retaining means orframe. Substantially the entire screen area of the screens 18 and 19 isthus maintained free for mixing and stream discharge, whereby a streamof increased diameter is effected.

Another arrangement incorporating various of the concepts discussed inreference to FIGURE 1 is shown in In this alternative embodiment, theaerator casing 25 again includes inwardly projecting spaced lugs at itslower ends, one of which is shown at 26, ultimately serving to support adisc or diaphragm 27 and a screen mixing unit 28. The screen mixing unit28, in the embodiment of FIGURE 2 comprises a pair of tubular portions29 and 30, of different diameters, with the portion 30 being adapted toproject below the lugs 26 as illustrated. The tubular members 29 and 30are interconnected to one another by inwardly projecting spacing ribs orwebs 31 performing a function analogous to the spacing webs 17 of FIGURE1, i.e., operating to retain a pair of screen members 32 and 33 inspaced relation to one another by peripheral engagement at limiteddimension spaced locations. The spacing between webs 31, moreover,provides holes 34 in the side walls of the mixing unit 28, at positionsbetween the screens 32 and 33. This again serves to prevent anyaccumulation of dirt or foreign particles between the screens and, inthe arrangement of FIGURE 2, the prevention of such dirt accumulation isaccomplished without in any way perforating the screen surfaces 32and/or 33 themselves. Mixing unit 28 is further provided with aplurality of interior webs or ribs 35 spaced from one another as shownto provide open areas between the periphery of screen 3-2 and the innerwall of casing 25. Air may accordingly enter the device along the pathsshown, for example, by dotted lines 36.

The screen unit shown in FIGURE 2 may be fabricated by a techniqueanalogous to that described in reference to FIGURE 1. More particularly,the overall supporting unit or frame 29, 30, 31, 35 can initially bemolded or otherwise fabricated, e.g., of a plastic material. Thereafterscreen units 32 and 33 are press fit into place and subjected to a highfrequency electric heating to effect a softening or melting of portionsof said plastic material, whereafter, after cooling, the unit retains astable assembled configuration Without the need of external holdingmeans. Moreover, the heating may be such that the peripheral edges ofthe screens 32 and 33 actually penetrate and become embedded withinportions of the plastic frame, e.g., as illustrated at 37 (for screen32) and at 38 (for screen 33).

The arrangements of FIGURES 1 and 2 are intended to illustrate,moreover, that the aerator casing, disc or diaphragm member, and mixingscreen unit, can be fabricated as separate parts which are thereafterassembled. The overall assembly of casing, diaphragm, and screensupporting member, may however be also molded or fabricated as a unitarystructure, e.g., from an appropriate plastic material; and such anarrangement is shown in FIGURE 3. The arrangement of FIGURE 3 comprisesfor the most part a unitary molded member of the type described in myprior copending application Serial No. 170,140 filed January 31, 1962for Molded Water Aerators. The device constitutes a unitary assemblageof casing 40, disc or diaphragm 41, and a screen supporting membercomprising sleeve 42 provided with interior spaced ledges 43. The screenunit itself comprises a first screen member 44 in engagement with thevarious ledges 43 as well as with the interior surface of sleeve 42, andalso comprises a basket shaped screen 45 overlying screen 44 and havingits side portions also in engagement with sleeve 42 for spacing thescreens 44 and 45 from one another. In my prior copending applicationSerial No. 170,140 identified above, it was contemplated that the screenmembers 44 and 45 be retained in place by friction; but in accordancewith the present invention, this retention may be enhanced by heatingthe screen surfaces 44 and 45, e.g., by induction heating techniques,thereby to effect a softening or melting, and partial flow, of theplastic material comprising sleeve 42 and/or ledges 43 adjacent theperiphery of the screen members 44 and 45.

Still another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated inFIGURE 4; and this particular arrangement may again comprise a unitarymolded casing, diaphragm, and screen supporting construction of a typeanalogous to that described in reference to FIGURE 3. In thisalternative arrangement, the overall unit 50 is provided with acentrally located stud 51. The interior screen supporting member orsleeve 52 is also provided with a first plurality of spaced ledges 53adapted to engage spaced peripheral portions of a first screen member54, as Well as with a second plurality of spaced ledges 55 adapted toengage spaced peripheral portions of a further screen member 56. Toincrease the frictional forces provided, all or spaced portions of theinner wall of sleeve 52 can be grooved as shown partially at 57.

The spaced ledges 53 and 55 operate in a manner analogous to members 17of FIGURE 1, or members 31 of FIGURE 2, to space the flat screens fromone another. In the arrangement of FIGURE 4, the screens are held inplace by frictional engagement with the central stud 51, which passesthrough central apertures in both of screens 54 and 56, and/ or saidscreens are held in place by frictional engagement adjacent theirperipheries with the sleeve member 52, and more particularly withgrooves 57 provided thereon. The frictional engagement thus provided atspaced locations by stud 51 and grooves 57 is normally sufiicient tohold the screens 54 and 56 in place notwithstanding the imposition ofwater pressures on said screens. If desired, however, an arrangement ofthe type shown in FIGURE 4 may be again subjected to electrical heatingin accordance with the techniques described in reference to FIGURES 1through 3, in order to increase the screen holding forces.

Still another arrangement operating to increase the effective screenarea is shown in FIGURES 5 and 5A; and in this arrangement, the screenmembers are movable in nature. In my prior Patent No. 2,998,932 issuedSeptember 5, 1961 for Framed Movable Screens for Use in Aerator Devices,I have described arrangements for so framing screen members that thescreen members themselves may move relative to the frame, thereby topermit insertion of the screens in either of two opposed directionswithout detracting from the operation of the aerator. The arrangementactually shown in my prior Patent No. 2,998,932 utilizes screen frameswhich have continuous inwardly extending lips overlying both the upperand lower surfaces of the screen; and such lips, extending continuouslyaround the screen peripheries, tend to cut down on the effective screenmixing area to some extent. This is obviated by the improved arrangementshown in FIG- URES 5 and 5A, wherein, once more, spaced peripheralscreen engagement of limited dimension is utilized for screen retentionpurposes.

In the arrangement of FIGURES 5 and 5A, the casing 60 is provided with aplurality of spaced internal webs 61 terminating in inwardly projectinglugs 62 adapted to support one or more framed movable screen units. FIG-URE 5 illustrates the provision of two such units 63 and 64 disposed insuperposed relation to one another, although more or fewer such unitsmay be provided. Each such unit, e.g., unit 64, comprises a cylindricalframe constructed of metal, or of a plastic material; having a pluralityof narrow relatively widely spaced inwardly projecting teeth 65 aboutits upper periphery, and also provided with a further plurality ofrelatively narrow widely spaced inwardly projecting teeth 66 extendingabout its lower periphery. The narrow relatively small dimensions of theteeth 65 and 66 assure that the elfective screen area,

of the screen element 67 located therebetween is not significantlydecreased; and this minimization of screen area decrease is furtherenhanced by the fact that, in the preferred embodiment of the :presentinvention, the teeth 65 and 66 are disposed in respectively staggeredrelation to one another.

The screen unit 67 is retained in place within member 64 by the teeth 65and 66; and the said screen member 67 rests either upon inwardlyprojecting teeth 66, or upon inwardly projecting teeth 65, dependentupon the actual position of unit 64 within casing 60. Similar operationoccurs with respect to the movable screen. surface 68 in screen unit 63,which screen unit 63 is provided with staggered inwardly projectingteeth analogous to the teeth 65 and 66 described in reference to unit64.

While I have thus described preferred embodiments of my invention, manyvariations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of theinvention. All such variations and modifications are intended to fallwithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A mixing unit for use in a water aerator, comprising a thermoplasticsubstantially tubular screen supporting element, at least one meshscreen element having an outside diameter substantially equal to theinterior diameter of said tubular element, means for retaining said meshscreen element within said tubular screen supporting element, saidthermoplastic supporting element having a lower melting point than themelting point of said mesh screen element so that the latter may bereadily embedded in or removed from the thermoplastic supporting elementby application of induction heating to said mesh screen element, saidretaining means comprising a plurality of limited dimension andrelatively widely spaced portions of said tubular supporting element inwhich are partly embedded a plurality of limited dimension andrelatively widely spaced peripheral portions of said screen elementwhereby substantially the entire screen area of said mesh screen elementis maintained unobstructed by said retaining means and free for thedischarge of a Water stream therethrough, the uppermost and lowermostedges of said screen supporting element each defining an open interiordiameter substantially equal to the outside diameter of said mesh screenelement throughout substantially the entire interior periphery of saidsupporting element whereby said free screen area is unobstructed by anysignificant portion of said supporting element edges overhanging saidscreen element.

2. The unit of claim 1 wherein said limited and relatively widely spacedportions of said tubular screen supporting element comprise a pluralityof inwardly projecting spacer webs disposed in relatively widely spacedrelation to one another about and substantially parallel to the axis ofsaid tubular supporting element, said spacer webs defining upper andlower spaced abutment surfaces, there being a pair of said mesh screenelements positioned respectively adjacent said upper and lower abutmentsurfaces of said spacer webs.

3. The unit of claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprises aplurality of relatively narrow abutment ele ments projecting inwardlyfrom an inner surface of said tubular supporting element in relativelywidely spaced relation to one another about the axis of said tubularelement.

4. The unit of claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprises aplurality of grooves formed in the inner surface of said tubularelement.

5. A mixing unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said tubular elementcomprises thermoplastic material.

6. A mixing unit for a water aerator comprising a substantiallycylindrical supporting member, a mesh screen, and means for retainingsaid screen within said supporting member in such manner thatsubstantially the entire area of said screen is free for the flow ofwater therethrough, said retaining means comprising a plurality ofspaced projections extending inwardly from the inner surface of saidsupporting member in a locus around the axis of said supporting member,spaced peripheral portions of said mesh screen being partially embeddedin said projections, the intermediate peripheral portions of said screenlocated between said projections being free for the flow therethrough ofwater, the inner surface and extremities of said cylindrical supportingmember being substantially flush with one another adjacent saidintermediate peripheral screen portion-s thereby to avoid any overhangf-rom said supporting member tending to restrict the flow of waterthrough said intermediate peripheral screen portions, said projectionsbeing of thermoplastic material with a lower melting point than that ofthe mesh screen whereby the mesh screen may be partly embedded in orremoved from said projections by application of induction heating.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Curtis 156303.1Williams 210-161 Gunter.

Elliott 156303.1 Aghnides.

Aghnides 239431 Aghnides.

Aghnides 239-431 Aghnides 239431 Great Britain.

EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

6. A MIXING UNIT FOR A WATER AERATOR COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLYCYLINDRICAL SUPPORTING MEMBER, A MESH SCREEN, AND MEANS FOR RETAININGSAID SCREEN WITHIN SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER IN SUCH MANNER THATSUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE AREA OF SAID SCREEN IS FREE FOR THE FLOW OFWATER THERETHROUGH, SAID RETAINING MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OFSPACED PROJECTIONS EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF SAIDSUPPORTING MEMBER IN A LOCUS AROUND THE AXIS OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER,SPACED PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF SAID MESH SCREEN BEING PARTIALLY EMBEDDEDIN SAID PROJECTIONS, THE INTERMEDIATE PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF SAID SCREENLOCATED BETWEEN SAID PROJECTIONS BEING FREE FOR THE FLOW THERETHROUGH OFWATER, THE INNER SURFACE AND EXTREMITIES OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SUPPORTINGMEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH ONE ANOTHER ADJACENT SAIDINTERMEDIATE PERIPHERAL SCREEN PORTIONS THEREBY TO AVOID ANY OVERHANGFROM SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER TENDING TO RESTRICT THE FLOW OF WATERTHROUGH SAID INTERMEDIATE PERIPHERAL SCREEN PORTIONS, SAID PROJECTIONSBEING OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL WITH A LOWER MELTING POINT THAN THAT OFTHE MESH SCREEN WHEREBY THE MESH SCREEN MAY BE PARTLY EMBEDDED IN ORREMOVED FROM SAID PROJECTIONS BY APPLICATION OF INDUCTION HEATING.